Questions?

Do you have burning questions about the pre-med, medical school admission, and residency process? Post a comment, and I will happily answer any and all questions.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Medical School Interviews – Letter of Intent

Some rolling admissions schools have already given you their decision. You may be on waitlists or have not heard anything from schools yet. This time of year, the question often arises: “Do I tell my top choice that they are my top choice?”

The answer is yes.

If you have an absolute top choice and have not been accepted, writing a “letter on intent” can improve your chances of acceptance. Medical schools want students who want them. You can only tell one school that they are “the one,” so be sure it really is your top choice.

Write a letter to the dean of admissions explaining why the school is your top choice. Include specifics on why the school is your top choice (curriculum, research opportunities, location, etc.) and reiterate your strengths. This should be a short letter and can be hand-written on a card or more formally typed.

Would you like help editing your letter of intent? E-mail info@MDadmit.com to get help from a Harvard/Stanford MD and medical school admissions expert!

Monday, January 18, 2010

Medical School Interviews – Avoid Burnout

Are you one of the few who have more interviews than you know what to do with? Are you finding school or work slipping because you are always flying off to an interview? Do you think your performance in interviews is slipping due to fatigue? If so, you should be very grateful. And you should also think about canceling some of the interviews to avoid burnout. Look at the list of interviews that you have left. Be sure to only attend interviews of schools that you will seriously consider attending if accepted. For example, you have already been accepted to one of your top choices and have a few “safety school” interviews in February. Do yourself and the admissions committees a favor and call to cancel those interviews.

Need help deciding which interviews to attend? Email info@MDadmit.com to set up a consulting session with a medical school admissions insider.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Medical School Interviews – No Interviews Yet?

Are you still waiting for a medical school interview invite? If so, it’s time to get to work. Here are some suggestions:

1. Call each school that you have applied to and returned a secondary application. Ask if your application is complete and if all interview invites have been given.
2. Call each school that you have applied to and not received a secondary from and ensure the school has everything it needs prior to sending a secondary application. Also inquire about whether any more secondaries will be sent out (quite unlikely at this stage in the interview process but it doesn’t hurt to ask).
3. Contact your undergraduate or post-baccalaureate pre-med advisor and update him/her on your situation. If there is a particular school that you are interested in and have not received an interview, some pre-med advisors will make a call on your behalf.

Worried about not receiving the interviews you want? E-mail info@MDadmit.com to put a Harvard/Stanford MD and medical school admissions expert to work for you!

Monday, January 4, 2010

Medical School Interviews – Thank You Notes

Thank you notes often raise many questions for medical school applicants:

*Do I have to write thank you notes to every interviewer?
*Should I write hand-written notes?
*Can an e-mail serve as a sufficient thank you?

Every interviewer at any school you would attend if accepted should receive a hand-written thank you note. Thank you notes are a priceless way to remind the interviewer of who you are and why you should be accepted. Such an important communication should not be sent to someone’s already very full e-mail inbox. Here are some tips:

1. Bring thank you notes, envelopes, and stamps with you on the interview
2. Take notes after every interview noting interviewer name/title and the most interesting topics you discussed (be sure to get the exact spelling of the interviewer’s name)
3. While traveling home by plane, train, etc., write the thank you notes and then drop them in the mail immediately. If you travel by car, write them in the car before you leave. Leaving thank you notes until “later” means they will never get done. And it’s always best to write them while the interview is still fresh in your mind.

Need help writing thank you notes? E-mail info@MDadmit.com to put a Harvard/Stanford MD and medical school admissions expert to work for you!